[Mingli Lecture Hall 2022 Issue 30]

  On May 27th, [Mingli Lecture Hall 2022 Issue 30] was honored to invite Xuying Zhao from the University of Notre Dame to bring you an academic report entitled "Microtasking Design in Self-Improvement Apps: Theoretical Lens from Present Bias".

  Xuying Zhao's main report content: Microtasks, or breaking a task into small pieces, are often suggested for self-improvement programs with delayed benefits that people find difficult to complete. However, it is unclear when microtasks can be helpful to users or designers, and if so, how to design microtasks with program pricing in mind. By constructing a behavioral economics framework that explicitly characterizes users' current biases and their naivety about such biases, we investigate when self-improvement apps (such as the target reward task for sports apps) should employ microtask strategies, and Related design issues are investigated. We found that microtasks are profitable in two different situations: First, when the program's rewards diminish at a high rate of diminishing returns, it is profitable. In this case, the project's launch microtask is designed to expand consumer engagement, and it should be designed to be relatively easy to complete. Second, the program is also profitable when the rate of return is higher and the user naivety is relatively low. In this context, microtasks can help users mitigate their current bias toward prioritizing immediate costs over future benefits. We also show that program providers do not always benefit from microtasks. Additionally, while consumers are generally better off, microtasks may exacerbate the negative impact of current biases on some users, making them worse off. Our findings shed some light on self-improvement applications and policymakers.
  Prof. Xuying Zhao's wonderful report attracted many teachers and students from domestic and foreign universities. In the report, the teachers actively interacted with the participants and discussed a number of academic issues in depth. Her rigorous study style and profound knowledge were well received and highly rated by the participants.